Tricolor-pearly white with black markings. White blaze with chestnut “eyebrows”, cheeks, under ears and under tail.

Ruby: solid chestnut. No white markings.

Black and tan: black with chestnut “eyebrows”, cheeks, under ears, on legs and under tail. No white markings.

Faults: heavy ticking (freckles) on the white of blenheims and tricolors. Any white markings on rubies or black and tans. Aggression, shyness, nervousness.

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Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are wonderful dogs. I have been owned by them for 6 years now and in that time I have owned several and have fostered dozens of cavaliers. Between my rescue, our monthly playgroup and cavalier groups on Facebook I have met dozens of cavalier owners and cavaliers.

I get phone calls and emails all the time from people who are interested in adopting or buying a cavalier and want to know more about them. Many times they have read about them online in an article or something and think that they sound perfect!

The truth is, I love cavaliers and can’t imagine my life without them, but they are NOT for everyone. This is something I am brutally honest about when talking to people who do not know the breed. Many of the “breed profiles” you read online gush about the many positive qualities of a cavalier; they are loving, friendly, sweet, happy dogs. They are all of those things. But many times the profiles do not mention the not so good along with the good. And there is a lot of not so good! Or at the very least, there are things any potential cavalier owner should know about before buying or adopting.

I’ll start with the big one. Cavaliers are a very unhealthy breed. From years of bad breeding by puppy mills and backyard breeders, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is prone to a host of health problems. Cavalier Health.org is a fantastic resource that every cavalier owner or cavalier owner wanna be should read and book mark. Among the health issues they are prone to are:

MVD (Mitral Valve Disease)SM (Syringomyelia)Luxating Patellas Hip DysplasiaEpilepsyDeafness (PSOM can be a contributor)Corneal Dystrophy…and many more

If you are buying a cavalier puppy it is VITAL that you buy from a breeder whose dogs are regularly health tested and certified. They should be able to show you the proof of the health checks and certificates. If you buy from a pet store or a backyard breeder these dogs are most likely not tested and dogs with health problems are regularly bred with no thought to the consequences. Our first cavalier was bought from a backyard breeder back when I knew little about the breed and what I read online didn’t emphasize the importance of testing. He has epilepsy, which has cost us thousands of dollars over the years in tests and medication, not to mention the heartache of watching him have seizures. I can’t emphasize this enough. Make sure the breeder health tests the parents or you are risking spending thousands of dollars on surgeries and treatments if your dog has one of these disorders. They are all genetic.

Now that the health issues are out of the way, let’s talk about behavior.

Cavaliers are known for their happy, outgoing personalities. They can make fantastic therapy dogs because of their gentle demeanor.

BUT…cavaliers are also prone to many behavioral issues which are common to the breed and that many many owners will tell you about.

Cavaliers can be big barkers. Be it the dogs next door, the dogs on TV, the doorbell ringing or a particularly interesting leaf blowing by, many cavaliers are prone to barking. Yes, many of the breed profiles say they are quiet. And with proper training they can be, but most of the cavaliers I know are indeed big barkers! This is something that should be addressed when they are young, as it’s hard to untrain a barker.

Cavaliers are very food motivated. They are known be food thieves and to go to great lengths to swipe food from their owners tables or even right out of their hands! They are also prone to weight gain and obesity. And obesity is VERY bad for any dog, but especially for dogs like cavaliers that are prone to heart problems. Extra weight on a cavalier means the heart has to work extra hard and even just a slight amount of extra weight can cause a heart murmur, which can be deadly in a cavalier. It’s important to watch your dog’s weight. Do not free feed your cavalier. And use healthy treats like carrots and green beans.

Cavaliers are prone to separation anxiety. Cavaliers are, first and foremost, companion animals. They were bred to be “Comfort Spaniels” and were bred to be royal lap dogs. They have not forgotten this! Cavaliers want to be with their people. ALL. THE. TIME. They follow you from room to room, they stand guard outside your bathroom door (if you don’t just let them come in with you!). They sit next to the tub or shower and wait for you. And the instant you sit down…they are in your lap! This is life with a cavalier. If you do not want a furry little shadow, you do not want a cavalier. There are exceptions, of course, but as a whole, this is the common cavalier behavior. They do not want to be alone, and some develop very bad separation anxiety, where they bark and scratch and even become destructive when left alone. Having another cavalier can definitely help this, and most cavaliers do best in pairs. They bond as strongly to their dog companions as they do their human ones, but just because they bond to another dog doesn’t mean they don’t want to be with their people, as some breeds tend to do. Cavaliers are absolutely NOT outdoor dogs (in my opinion NO dog is an outdoor dog). They need human companionship. If you want a dog to leave outside, a cavalier is NOT for you.

Cavaliers are adaptable and can be great apartment dogs as long as they get enough exercise. However they tend to be notoriously bad off leash. They are descended from scent hounds and will take off without a second thought, right into the street and in front of a car if they see or smell something they want to investigate. It is important to keep cavaliers on leash unless they are in a secured area.

And I cannot emphasize this enough: Cavaliers shed. They shed a LOT! If an ad says they are low shedding-they are not being honest. Any cavalier owner can tell you this. They are heavy shedders! If you want them to have the long, flowing coats of a show dog, you will have hair everywhere and you will need to brush your cavalier a lot to keep them mat free! You can read more about grooming your cavalier in my blog post!

Cavaliers are sweet, loving and unfailingly loyal. They tend to get along well with everyone. They also tend to get along well with cats and other household pets. They are smart and eager to please, so tend to train quickly with positive reinforcement training. They are very sensitive and do not react well to harsh training methods. Using such methods can easily break your cavaliers spirit. If you take your cavalier to a trainer who emphasizes dominance training or harsh methods, you should reconsider and try to find a trainer who uses positive reinforcement and gentle training methods.

If you are looking to adopt an adult cavalier, some of these behaviors may be deeply ingrained and hard to break. Be sure when you apply for an adult dog to be completely honest about behaviors you can and can’t tolerate so that the rescue can help make a good match for you AND for the dog.

So…cavaliers aren’t for everyone, but when you’re heart is stolen by one it’s hard to imagine your life without one. Or two. Or three….or…. :)

**We do not ship. Belle is available to local adopters only. Ogden to Provo**

REQUIREMENTS: A fenced yard. Belle likes to run and chase birds. She needs a secure, fenced yard and cannot be trusted off leash. Another playful dog is preferred. Cats OK. Kids unknown as she never lived with kids, but she would probably be fine with older kids. She’s very exuberant and jumps up a lot so no small kids. Adopter must understand she may need surgery eventually and she needs to have daily meditations and supplements.

Beautiful Belle came into rescue from a loving home who could sadly no longer care for her. Belle is a sweet, loving 3 year old cavalier who is a typical Velcro dog. She wants nothing more than to be with her person, as close as possible, preferably draped across your lap.

Belle has some special needs. She has severe hip dysplasia. At this point surgery is not a good option, but it is possible that down the line she will need surgery that will cost upwards of $2000. The surgery will need to be done when her quality of life is suffering, which at this point it definitely is not! She likes to chase birds and run in the yard, but she does have trouble standing sometimes if she’s been laying down too long. She is beginning to develop arthritis due to the hip dysplasia and is on rimadyl twice a day and and a Cosequin/MSM supplement daily. She is also had a UTI which has cleared up but she is still taking a cranberry chew supplement to keep it from returning.

Belle is also quite overweight, and is a bigger cavalier. She is about 30lbs now and should lose around 8lbs or so to be at her target weight. Losing the weight will definitely help with her hip issues and she should be kept slim to keep extra strain off her joints.

Belle will need to continue her diet and exercise program and be on medications for the rest of her life and her adopter must be prepared that she may need surgery down the line for her hips.

Belle likes other dogs and would like a playmate but she is also more dominant and can be pushy when she wants attention. She would do best with playful mellow dogs that aren’t going to care when she pushes them aside for pets! She is great with cats. She is good in the car but needs to be secured so she doesn’t jump back and forth from the back seat, and she does have a history of jumping out of car windows so she should not be allowed to be in a car with windows open unless she’s secured.

Belle is an all around great dog who is fully house trained and knows basic commands. She will wait politely to be released for her food.

If you are interested in applying for Belle please email an application (found on our website) to cavaliercrazyrescue@gmail.com

**Requirements: A secure fenced yard, no kids under 12, no cats. Dogs ok and Toto needs another similar sized playful dog as he loves to play and cuddle with another dog (or dogs). Toto is available to local adopters only (Ogden area to Provo area). We do not do any meet and greets without an approved application on file**

Say hello to our newest honorary cavalier Toto, an adorable adult yorkie mix. We’re not sure what he’s mixed with but he is not yorkie size, he is about 16-18 lbs. He has the silky low shedding hair of a yorkie and will need regular grooming. We’re also not sure of his age as the owners said he was about 10 but the vet put him at about 5, which seems closer based on how he acts. He is a playful, energetic boy who loves to play fetch with his ball and likes to spend time outside in the yard.

Toto came into rescue when his family couldn’t keep him anymore and a Good Samaritan took him in and released him to rescue so he could find a perfect forever home. He has seen the vet and is in perfect health. He is neutered and up to date on his shots and microchipped.

Toto is a sweet, happy boy who likes to play but will also snuggle for hours. He get super excited when he sees his leash because he loves to go on walks and go on rides in the car. He really is just a perfect boy with a great mix of playful and cuddly. He’s fully house trained and will bark to go outside.

We were told Toto didn’t like little kids and we haven’t had a chance due to social distancing to have him meet any kids so we are saying only older kids, over 12. Toto is also not good with cats and will chase them incessantly so no cats in his forever home.

Toto is a smart, happy boy and his forever family will be lucky to have him!

If you’re interested in adding Toto to your family please email an application (available on our website) to cavaliercrazyrescue@gmail.com